UST is led by seniors, including Tim McClanahan, David Simmet, Charlie Dowdle and Mozus Ikuenobe. Photo by Scott Pierson, d3photography.com

Charlie Dowdle contributed to the Stagg Bowl team as a freshman in 2012 and is determined to cap his career with a return to Salem. Photo by Scott Pierson, d3photography.com

By Adam Turer
D3sports.com

Quick, name five players on this year's St. Thomas roster.

Unless you're a close follower of the Tommies, chances are you struggled to come up with a response. And that's just fine with St. Thomas.

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The Tommies have a Gagliardi Trophy finalist in David Simmet, but he's an offensive tackle. They have a top-three defense, but just three all-region players from that unit, only one on the first team. The quarterback is a senior in his first season as the full-time starter. Their leading receiver is a tight end. That relative anonymity for a national semifinalist might just be the key to the Tommies' most dominant season to date.

"We might not have big-name marquee guys," said head coach Glenn Caruso, "but more than any team I've coached, this is the team that embraces their roles. Their selfless attitude is unique."

That attitude starts with the biggest senior class Caruso has enjoyed at St. Thomas. Twenty-six seniors have provided leadership going back to January. Not all of them start, but each plays an important role in bringing the Tommies to the brink of their second Stagg Bowl appearance.

"Our 26 seniors are wildly impressive not just in their abilities," said Caruso, "but in understanding what their responsibilities are."

Caruso is determined not to let these seniors down. He has amassed an 86-13 record at St. Thomas, but felt like he failed the past two seasons following the program's 2012 Stagg Bowl appearance. He took over a program coming off of a 2-8 season in 2007 and led the Tommies to quarterfinal appearances in 2009 and 2010, a semifinal appearance in 2011, and the breakthrough to Salem in 2012. In the past two seasons, there were five losses, one playoff game, and zero playoff wins.

"It's tough to get there, but even tougher to stay there. It makes you realize that in this acutely focused game, the enormity of people that want to knock you off is bigger than you can imagine," said Caruso. "Just because you won games the way you did the year before, doesn't mean you will again. That's where I slipped up as a head coach."

The ship has been righted, emphatically. The Tommies lost to MIAC rivals St. John's and Bethel in both 2013 and 2014. This year, St. Thomas defeated those teams three times, including the playoff win over the Johnnies. The average score of those three games was 39-16.

"We don't want to go out with a loss," said senior linebacker Tim McClanahan. "You're playing for something more than yourself. You're playing for the guys next to you."

That brotherhood was tightened by a two-week trip to Italy in the spring. The program had previously played in Canada in the springs of 2009 and 2012, and followed those trips with breakthrough seasons.

"That was a life-changer for us. It allowed guys to hone and expand their leadership skills earlier," said Caruso of the Italy trip. "The camaraderie that was formed was palpable. As a coach, that's all you can ask for."

Several players stuck around for the summer and worked out together upon their return from Italy. When the first week of camp commenced, Caruso said it felt like the Tommies were already in their third week of practice. They haven't slowed down since.

"We've been having a lot of fun this year," said senior tight end Charlie Dowdle. "Everyone's taking a huge amount of pride in their roles."

"We trust each other completely," added McClanahan. "That translates onto the field."

Dowdle and McClanahan remember the team's Stagg Bowl trip from their freshman season. Dowdle was one of 12 freshmen who were thrust into playing time because of injuries. This year, the Tommies are much healthier at this point of the season.

"In 2012, we were so banged up. We're probably feeling the benefits of that now," said Caruso. "In our eight years here, this is the healthiest we've been."

Going to Salem as freshmen, this year's seniors expected to be back again every year. After the disappointment of the past two seasons, they learned to take nothing for granted.

"We all realize that it goes by really fast and can end a lot sooner than you'd like it to," said Dowdle. "Everyone's time here is finite. We've learned that the hard way the past couple of years."

They certainly aren't looking past this week's opponent, Linfield. They definitely aren't relying on their past performances this season. Despite posting several lopsided victories, the Tommies have not been satisfied with their performances to date. The senior-laden squad pays more attention in the film room looking for ways it could have played better, rather than the final box score.

"The scoreboard doesn't tell how we play from week to week," said Dowdle. "Guys watch film and aren't satisfied with our success, which is cool to see."

That hunger trickles down from the coaching staff to the seniors, to every member of the program. The Tommies believe that their best performance of the season is ahead of them, and work daily to reach that peak.

"There's a homeostasis within our program where we're never satisfied with where we are," said Caruso. "We've shifted our focus from results-oriented to process-oriented. If you're a competitor, you're never satisfied. We're nowhere near the version of ourselves that we want to be."

One area in which the team has succeeded is in its balance. Only one defensive player, Steve Harrell, averages more than three solo tackles per game. Running back Jordan Roberts has been a workhorse, rushing for 1,720 yards and 29 touchdowns. But, some games quarterback John Gould is the offensive star. Other times, it could be Dowdle or wide receiver Nick Waldvogel.

"When one guy falls, another rises," said Caruso. "This is as complete of a team as I've ever been around."